Fence

ABSTRACT

A fence is described comprising a base ( 12 ) of or containing a relatively dense plastics material and a panel ( 14 ) of a less dense plastics material, the panel ( 14 ) and base ( 12 ) including features cooperating, in use, with one another to secure the panel ( 14 ) to the base ( 12 ) in such a manner that the panel ( 14 ) is supported in an upstanding configuration, and a foot ( 20 ) pivotally mounted to the base ( 12 ) about a substantially vertical pivot axis, the foot ( 20 ) being pivotable between a stowed position in which it lies substantially entirely beneath the base ( 12 ) and an in use position in which it projects from the base ( 12 ), the footprint of the combination of the base ( 12 ) and the foot ( 20 ) being greater than the footprint of the base ( 20 ) alone in the in use position.

This invention relates to a fence or barrier intended to be used in the vicinity of works undertaken on road or footpath surfaces to reduce the risk of accidents, for example by reducing the risk of individuals or vehicles or the like falling into an excavation formed in the road or footpath surface or to keep pedestrians, vehicles or the like away from operations being undertaken such as the formation of a trench or the like in the road or footpath surface.

One form of fence or barrier in common use comprises a base, for example of moulded plastics material form, and a panel. The base is typically formed with one or more recesses or openings into or through which parts of the panel can be inserted, the resulting engagement between the base and the panel serving to hold the panel in an upstanding configuration. The base is typically fabricated from a relatively dense plastics material, for example composed of or comprising a significant quantity of a recycled plastics material. The nature of the material used is typically such that the base is of a dull grey or black colour. The panel is typically also of moulded plastics material form. However, it is typically of a virgin plastics material and so may be manufactured in such a manner as to be brightly coloured and so clearly visible to pedestrians or vehicle drivers.

The panel and/or base are conveniently shaped in such a fashion as to allow a plurality of fence units or modules of the type described hereinbefore to be connected to one another in an end to end fashion to form an elongate fence or barrier assembly. The nature of the connections between adjacent ones of the units or modules are conveniently such that the modules or units may be angled relative to one another so that the resulting fence or barrier assembly need not follow a straight line, but rather may follow a desired path around works being undertaken.

The base is typically designed in such a manner that it defines a relatively large footprint, projecting by a considerable distance to each side of the panel. The points of contact between the base and the ground furthest from the panel are thus spaced from the plane of the panel by a significant distance. As a result, the fence or barrier is of good stability. The stability of the fence or barrier is enhanced both through the shape of the footprint extending away from the plane of the panel and through the use of a relatively dense, recycled material in the formation of the base, resulting in the base being of relatively great weight.

Whilst arrangements of the type described hereinbefore are used successfully in many applications, and are of good stability, one disadvantage with this type of arrangement is that storage and transportation thereof requires a considerable amount of space as the bases do not nest to one another in a space efficient manner. Furthermore, the projecting parts of the base may represent a trip hazard to pedestrians walking in the vicinity of the fence or barrier.

It is an object of the invention to provide a fence or barrier in which at least some of the problems associated with known arrangements are overcome or are of reduced effect.

According to the present invention there is provided a fence comprising a base of or containing a relatively dense plastics material and a panel of a less dense plastics material, the panel and base including features cooperating, in use, with one another to secure the panel to the base in such a manner that the panel is supported in an upstanding configuration, and a foot pivotally mounted to the base about a substantially vertical pivot axis, the foot being pivotable between a stowed position in which it lies substantially entirely beneath the base and an in use position in which it projects from the base, the footprint of the combination of the base and the foot being greater than the footprint of the base alone in the in use position.

The underside of the foot and the underside of the base are preferably substantially coplanar so that, in use, the undersides of both the foot and the base rest upon the ground surface, supporting the fence.

When in the in use position, a free end of the foot is preferably arranged to engage the ground surface at a location spaced from the plane of the panel. The spacing is preferably at least 15 cm, and more preferably is greater than 20 cm.

By providing the base with a pivotable foot, it will be appreciated that the benefit of being of good stability can be maintained whilst allowing the assembly to be stored and/or transported in a relatively space efficient manner.

The foot, when in the in use position, may project from two opposing sides of the base. Alternatively, it may project from just one side of the base.

Conveniently, the underside of the base is formed with a recess within which the foot is received when in its stowed position.

The base is preferably of or contains a significant quantity of a recycled plastics material.

The pivot axis may be defined by a substantially vertically arranged pivot pin. The pivot pin may extend upwardly through the base and panel. In such an arrangement, the pivot pin may provide reinforcement to the panel. The pivot pin may be of pultruded, fibre reinforced plastics material form.

The panel and/or base may be provided with features or formations allowing connection of the fence to an adjacent similar fence to form an elongate fence assembly.

The invention will further be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a fence in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the fence of FIG. 1 in an in use condition; and

FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating the fence in a stowed condition.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, a fence 10 is illustrated which comprises a base 12 of moulded recycled plastics material form. The base 12 is of generally rectangular cross-sectional shape when viewed from above and the upper surface thereof is provided with a slot or recess arranged to receive, in use, formations or features provided at the lower edge of a moulded plastics material panel 14 in such a manner that the panel 14 is supported by the base 12 in an upstanding configuration. The panel 14 is conveniently of brightly coloured form and preferably comprises a virgin plastics material moulding. The base 12 is of relatively dense plastics material form, the panel 14 being of a lower density material. Whilst not shown, the panel 14 may be formed with openings to reduce wind resistance and thereby reduce the likelihood of the fence being blown over, in use.

The upper edge of the panel 14 is conveniently shaped to define a projection 14 a from which a connecting peg 16 depends, the panel 14 further defining a recess 14 b of dimensions similar to those of the projection 14 a. An opening 18 is formed in the panel 14, opening onto the recess 14 b. The projection 14 a and recess 14 b are of dimensions and positioned that that, in use, a pair of fences 10 located adjacent one another may be arranged so that the projection 14 a of one of the fences 10 is located within the recess 14 b of the adjacent fence 10, the peg 16 of the first of the fences 10 being located within the opening 18 of the other of the fences 10, thereby connecting the two fences 10 together. It will be appreciated that a number of fences 10 may be interconnected in this manner to form a fence assembly of elongate form, if desired.

A foot 20 is pivotally attached to the base 12, the foot 20 being pivotable about a substantially vertical pivot axis between an in use position (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) in which parts of the foot 20 project to the front and rear of the base 12, and a stowed position (see FIG. 3) in which the foot 20 lies entirely beneath the base 12, not project to the front or rear of the base 12. The foot 20 conveniently takes the form of a plastics material moulding. As shown, it conveniently includes a central upstanding part 22 from which a pair of projecting parts 24 extend. The central part 22 conveniently defines a socket into which a pivot pin 26 extends, the pin 26 preferably extending substantially vertically through the base 12 and panel 14, being retained therein, and so serving not only to pivotally secure the foot 20 to the base 12 and panel 14, but also serving to enhance the stiffness of the panel 14. It may increase the panel's resistance to flexing through the application of side loads, and may also serve to enhance its ability to bear vertically directed loads, transmitting such loadings directly to the foot 20 and then to the ground surface upon which the fence 10 is stood. The pin 26 may be of pultruded, fibre reinforced plastics material form, if desired.

In order to allow the projecting parts 24 of the foot 20 to be of low profile form whilst still being of good stiffness, the foot conveniently includes a reinforcing bar extending from the tip of one of the parts 24 to the tip of the other of the parts 24. The reinforcing bar may be of, for example, pultruded fibre reinforced plastics material form. It will be appreciated that the presence of the reinforcing bar allows the stiffness of the foot to be maintained whilst allowing the foot to be of low profile form and so the risk of the formation of a trip hazard, in use, is reduced.

As shown in FIG. 1, the base 12 is preferably formed, on its underside, with a recess 12 a in which the parts 24 of the foot 20 are located when the foot 20 is in its stowed position. The underside of the foot 20 and the lowermost parts of the base 12 are preferably coplanar so that when the fence 10 is stood upon a flat ground surface, the foot 20 and parts of the base 12 engage the ground and support the fence 10 in an upstanding configuration.

In use, during transportation or storage, the foot 20 is located in its stowed position. In this condition, the fence 10 is relatively compact and so storage or transportation thereof may be undertaken in a relatively space efficient manner. When the fence 10 is to be used, the foot 20 is rotated to the in use position. It will be appreciated that in this position, the footprint of the fence is increased compared to the situation where the foot 20 is in the stowed position. The separation of the ground contact points of the foot 20 furthest from the plane of the panel is relatively great, and the foot 20 is of good stiffness, and so the stability of the fence 10 is thus enhanced by the presence of the foot 20 when positioned in the in use position. The increased footprint and separation of the most remote contact points is achieved whilst the ability of the fence to be stored or transported in a relatively compact and space efficient manner is maintained. The arrangement of the invention is thus advantageous compared to known fence arrangements.

Whilst the arrangement described hereinbefore includes a foot 20 with two parts 24, arrangements are also possible in which only one part 24 is provided, the foot 20 projecting, when in the in use position, only to the front or the rear of the fence, not to both the front and rear, in such an arrangement. Whilst such an arrangement may have less stability that the arrangement described hereinbefore, it has the benefit that it may form less of a trip hazard in that it may be arranged such that no part 24 projects to the side of the fence 10 to which pedestrians have access.

Although specific embodiments of the invention are described hereinbefore, it will be appreciated that a wide range of modifications and alterations may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 

1. A fence comprising a base of or containing a relatively dense plastics material and a panel of a less dense plastics material, the panel and base including features cooperating, in use, with one another to secure the panel to the base in such a manner that the panel is supported in an upstanding configuration, and a foot pivotally mounted to the base about a substantially vertical pivot axis, the foot being pivotable between a stowed position in which it lies substantially entirely beneath the base and an in use position in which it projects from the base, the footprint of the combination of the base and the foot being greater than the footprint of the base alone in the in use position.
 2. A fence according to claim 1, wherein the underside of the foot and the underside of the base are substantially coplanar so that, in use, the undersides of both the foot and the base rest upon a ground surface, supporting the fence.
 3. A fence according to claim 2, wherein when in the in use position, a free end of the foot is arranged to engage the ground surface at a location spaced from the plane of the panel.
 4. A fence according to claim 3, wherein the spacing is at least 15 cm.
 5. A fence according to claim 4, wherein the spacing is greater than 20 cm.
 6. A fence according to claim 1, wherein the foot, when in the in use position, project from two opposing sides of the base.
 7. A fence according to claim 1, wherein the foot, when in the in use position, projects from just one side of the base.
 8. A fence according to claim 1, wherein the underside of the base is formed with a recess within which the foot is received when in its stowed position.
 9. A fence according to claim 1, wherein the base is of or contains a significant quantity of a recycled plastics material.
 10. A fence according to claim 1, wherein the pivot axis is defined by a substantially vertically arranged pivot pin.
 11. A fence according to claim 10, wherein the pivot pin extends upwardly through the base and panel.
 12. A fence according to claim 1, wherein the panel and/or base is provided with features or formations allowing connection of the fence to an adjacent similar fence to form an elongate fence assembly. 